Hubcaps are well known which both protect various parts of a wheel from contamination and enhance the general appearance of the vehicle upon which they are mounted. These hubcaps come in a variety of designs and are mounted to their respective wheels by a variety of means.
Hubcaps are used on the majority of automobiles. Automobile hubcaps are primarily used for aesthetic reasons. They hide the lug nuts, lug bolts, and axle. They are generally decorative in nature and can greatly enhance an automobile's appearance. They also provide some protection from contamination to the lug nuts and bolts. This is helpful since contamination can cause corrosion which makes the lug nuts difficult to remove from the lug bolts. Road hazards, such as sticks and stones, can strike exposed lug bolts and deform their threads. Therefore, hubcaps provide an accepted means for protecting wheel parts. Automobile hubcaps are generally secured to the wheel with spring detents. Deformable spring detents on the hubcap engage corresponding non-deformable detents on the wheel. Automobile hubcaps are occasionally secured with screws or other attachment means.
The wheels of many other types of rolling equipment also use hubcaps. Hubcaps are common on lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, trailers, and carts. Hubcaps can even be found on childrens' toys, such as wagons and tricycles.
Skateboards are commonly used outdoors on sidewalks and roadways where they are subject to the same environmental contamination as other vehicles. Foreign objects, such as sand, dirt, and water, frequently contaminate the wheel bearings of skateboard wheels. This contamination results in excessive wear and an increased failure rate of the wheel bearinqs.
The axle nut and wheel bearing assembly of a skateboard is exposed and visible. This not only increases the likelihood of damage to these items, but also is aesthetically displeasing. This is in contrast to the rest of the skateboard which may contain artistic designs and bright colors to enhance its appearance.
No hubcap is currently known to exist in the art for attachment to the wheels of a skateboard.
As such, although the problems solved through the use of hubcaps are well known, no proposed solution has to date addressed the use of hubcaps on skateboard wheels.